Who is Selwyn’s daughter in Death in Paradise, who plays her and what’s next for the pair now the hit BBC drama has taken a heart-wrenching turn?

The first appearance of Selwyn’s daughter in Death in Paradise has been a long time coming after the Commissioner of Saint Marie Police discovered her existence in season 11.

With island landscapes and seascapes that are totally different but just as beautiful as where Shetland was filmed and the gathering of suspects for a big reveal like in the Death on the Nile plot in the book, Death in Paradise might be a mystery series but it’s also feel-good. The tight-knit team have plenty of laughs as they solve the crimes on the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie. All of this happens under the watchful eye of Commissioner Selwyn Patterson (played by Don Warrington) and in recent episodes he’s definitely become more of an important character as he came to terms with being a father of an adult daughter. 

Here we reveal what you need to know about Selwyn’s daughter in Death in Paradise, who plays her and what’s likely to come next as the 2023 series continues…

*Warning: Spoilers ahead!*

Who is Selwyn’s daughter in Death in Paradise?

Selwyn’s daughter in Death in Paradise is Andrina Harper and you’d be forgiven for looking for a little more information about her. Whilst she’s been mentioned a few times in recent episodes and has finally made an in-person appearance, the Commissioner didn’t know she existed for many years. Andrina’s mother is Selwyn’s former flame Maggie Harper, played by Orla Brady, who showed up in Death in Paradise in season 11 and after spending more time with the Commissioner finally told him the truth about him being her daughter’s father. 

Selwyn later confided in Saint Marie’s Mayor and resident favorite bar owner Catherine, saying simply, “It seems I have a daughter, Catherine.”

This is the first Selwyn had known about it and Maggie had even told him that when she’d arrived back on Saint Marie she had done so hoping to remind him that he’d once loved her because she was so worried he’d be angry with her. 

When fans are finally introduced to Selwyn's daughter in Death in Paradise, it’s revealed that Andrina followed her mother’s footsteps and became a journalist, although she said she had “no intention” initially of doing so. 

Who plays her and where have you seen her before? 

If you’ve already made sure you're up-to-date on the latest season of Death in Paradise you might well have found yourself wondering who plays Andrina Harper and where you’ve seen her before. The answer might come easily for Silent Witness fans as Selwyn’s daughter in Death in Paradise is played by Genesis Lynea. Her role as Nikki and Jack’s colleague was replaced by newcomers Gabriel and Velvy in Silent Witness season 26, but she played Simone Tyler in seasons 24-25. You might also recognize Genesis Lynea as she’s also acted in Casualty, A Discovery of Witches and performed as Anne of Cleves in the hit musical Six.

When did Andrina Harper first appear in Death in Paradise?  

Genesis Lynea made her debut as Andrina Harper - Selwyn’s daughter in Death in Paradise - in season 12, episode 5. However, the arrangements for her visit had been a long-time coming as in previous episodes in the latest series of Death in Paradise, Commissioner Selwyn Patterson had been talking with Catherine about Andrina booking in to stay for a few days on the island. 

When she first appeared in person and Selwyn and Andrina met, he was understandably nervous, but they agreed to see more of the island together. Things took a devastating turn later on as Andrina took a rain check on their meeting and when they next saw each other she asked him pretty directly about whether he actually wanted to try and get to know her. 

“I just get the feeling this isn’t as important to you as it is to me,” she told him, before stressing that the only reason they were meeting each other at all is because she made the effort to come. 

Eventually she asked him if he’d even looked at the childhood photos of her she’d given him and said, “You just don’t want any part in this do you?”

His response was astonishing silence and Andrina was visibly upset and walked away leaving her father with a lot to think about. Over the course of 12 seasons of Death in Paradise, Selwyn has gone from stoic and intimidating boss of the Saint Marie police force to a kind of friend to them all, showing his softer side firstly when his niece Ruby was part of the team. 

But even so the sight of Selwyn breaking down in sobs in his car after finally looking at the photos of Andrina was heart-wrenching and surprising. After realizing that he’d missed out on so much and that a relationship with his daughter was worth fighting for, the two crossed paths once again at the end of Genesis Lynea’s first episode playing Selwyn’s daughter in Death in Paradise. 

If those final scenes are anything to go by there could be good things to come as the series continues…

What’s next for Selwyn and Andrina Harper in Death in Paradise season 12? 

Commissioner Patterson’s fears about meeting Andrina and the heart-breaking conversation they had appeared to have been relegated firmly to the past by the end of episode 5 of the latest season of Death in Paradise. Selwyn met Andrina and after having a truly honest heart-to-heart, he speculated that his daughter had expected him to be able to “handle” discovering he had a daughter he’d never known existed. 

“No, no I don’t,” she responded gently. “I don’t know what I’m doing and I don’t think anyone can know what to do. And I don’t expect it to be easy between us, not for a while yet. But I…I do need to know that you want us to do this.”

Smiling at his daughter, Selwyn assured her that he does want to work on building a relationship with her and took her hand. The final shot of the episode was of them hugging each other on a clifftop and everything combined suggests that Selwyn’s daughter in Death in Paradise isn’t going anywhere before she and her father have bonded more. There was a great deal of hope on both sides that came shining through in these emotional final moments. 

Although Genesis Lynea’s Andrina acknowledged that it might not be “easy”, both affirmed they’re happy and willing to give bonding a go. Given her mother Maggie and the rest of her life is firmly rooted in the UK she might not end up moving to Saint Marie.

But it seems likely that she’ll stay for a little bit and that even if she does head back in Death in Paradise season 12, she’ll remain in contact with Selwyn going forwards and be a part of his life, just like we’ve seen in other shows like with Cara in Silent Witness. We can’t wait to see Selwyn and Andrina’s journey as the 2023 series of Death in Paradise continues. 

Death in Paradise season 12 continues on BBC One at 9pm on Fridays and all episodes that have aired so far are available to watch on BBC iPlayer, as are seasons 1-11.